Meherabad (Ahmednagar) 01 August, (Asiantribune.com): A group of 180 lawmakers o Friday knocked at the door’s of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to know the ‘identity’ of the ‘Minister who reportedly had tried to influence a Madras judge in a corruption case.

Please investigate the allegation and share the details with Parliament, they told Dr Singh in a very detailed memorandum. And he assured them that he would get back to them after looking into the issue.

Recounting the genesis of the allegation, the delegation felt the allegation needed to be viewed seriously as a sitting judge had made the allegation in the open court.

Justice R Raghupathy of the Madras High Court reportedly said a Union Minister had tried to influence him in a matter concerning a mark sheet forgery scam investigated by the CBI. He did not name the minister. But the AIADMK had claimed that he was indeed Communications Minister A Raja; the DMK has, however, brushed aside the allegation as untrue.

Journalist and BJP law maker, Chandan Mitra, who was a part of the delegation, said the Prime Minister drew their attention to the clarification of the Chief Justice of India that the Union Minister had not spoken to the judge. He also asked them how the government could interfere in issues relating to the judiciary.

The MP delegation was not convinced of the PM line. There was an attempt to interfere in the judicial process, notwithstanding the clarification, they asserted. According to reports, lawyer appearing in the case on behalf of the accused had come to the Judge’s chamber and informed him that the Union Minister would like to speak to him and he even dialed the number to facilitate the conversation, they pointed out.

‘Find out the telephone number which the lawyer had reportedly dialed. It will help in investigation’, the memo told the prime minister.

The opposition lawmakers went on to say: ‘In the interests of upholding the principal of independence of the judiciary enshrined in the Constitution, as well as the highest standards of probity in public life, the people of the country do expect you to act in the matter. We request you to give a statement in both Houses on the issue and to take appropriate action in the matter’.